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Clifford Chance posts 75% trainee retention score

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By Legal Cheek on

12

42 of 56

Clifford Chance’s London office

Clifford Chance has posted an autumn trainee retention score of 75% with 42 of its 56 final-seat trainees staying on with the firm.

The Magic Circle firm said that 54 trainees applied for associate positions, and 44 offers were made. All but two of these offers were accepted.

CC confirmed to Legal Cheek that all 42 soon-to-be associates are on permanent contracts, with no fixed-term arrangements.

Earlier this year the CC posted spring score of 71% after 40 of its 56 spring trainees committing their futures to the firm.

The 2024 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2024 shows that the new recruits will start on recently improved salary of £150,000.

Last week fellow MC player A&O Shearman posted its first post-merger retention score, with 37 of its 56 trainees (66%) staying put.

12 Comments

Cubic Centimetres

Not bad from CC – makes up for the lack of a swimming pool.

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(5)(9)

Jibby

Does anyone have the REAL tea, as in…which groups were popular, where trainees applied vs. what they got…

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(16)(0)

CC

14 applications for litigation, 6 offers. Majority leaving for this reason.

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(20)(1)

Jibbys revenge

Wow, thanks for the info. Do you know if the trainees applied to other seats or are you limited in terms of how many departments you can apply for at qual.

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(0)(0)

CC insider 2

You’re not limited to applying to multiple seats. However, generally, not many trainees who apply to Litigation also apply to Finance/Corporate.

CC is a legacy finance law firm and this is the brutal reality for many trainees – if you want a (more) guaranteed job at the end, apply to finance teams. Litigation isn’t as large as Finance or Corporate at CC so these trainees are in a tricky position of not being able to “cover their bases” among many teams.

In reality, there is a disconnect to how much availability there is in Lit and how many trainees they have come through. It’s very competitive and trainees do not want to “settle” for finance/corporate instead. See recent The Lawyer podcast for discussion of whether it is best to leave or settle for a second choice team.

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(0)(0)

Ex CC

Would like to see the stats on how many people got their preferred practice area, and how many took a role in just any department they could to avoid facing the current market.

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(22)(1)

Cc insider 2

This isn’t reported (not even internally to trainees). From my experience in this round, I think a vast majority got first choice. No one is going to hold their hand up and say they were rejected for first choice but stayed for second choice.

It’ll be clearer once LinkedIn posts start in September….

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(0)(0)

Claudius Glaber

With this plus the SQE fiasco, one gets the sense that Clifford Chance really overhired over the last few cycles and have begun a pruning process

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(4)(0)

trainee blamed for incompetent seniors

agree – NQ’s and future trainees have to have to bore the brunt of incompetent people higher up – those people are all looking to scarper to other firms hence why the only jobs available atm are 2-7 PQE

people give up 3/4 years of their life with the TC and law school combined only to have people wasting their time. Just recruit a limited number of trainees it is not actually that hard

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(1)(1)

Anon

You’ve still had a funded SQE, a training contract in a very reputable firm and admission as a solicitor into the bargain – it’s not exactly wasted time.

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(1)(1)

Norton Roser

Meanwhile, Norton Rose retention rate continues to hover around 60% for the last 3 years, with most POCs leaving after completing their TCs.

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(0)(1)

Someone who actually works here

This is demonstrably untrue – in March 2024, the retention rate was over 95%, and is strong again this September (don’t have the exact % but it’s high).

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(0)(0)

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